The set-up: The Royals just got swept in a four-game home series by the Oakland Athletics, who are in last place in the AL West. They fell 14-5 Thursday and did not score a run until the ninth inning, finishing the series outscored by a tally of 43-12! It represents the most runs the team has ever allowed in a four-game series in Royals history. The Royals now continue an eight-game homestand with four games against the Chicago White Sox, having lost eight of their past nine Kauffman Stadium games. The now 74-72 defending World Series champs are all but done in the wild card race, a feeling the 71-75 White Sox have known for quite awhile now.

The pitching matchup: Chris Sale (15-8, 3.03 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago, opposed by KC's Ian Kennedy (11-9, 3.62 ERA). Sale opened the 2015 season 9-0 (1.58) but with just a few starts left to his year, he only has 15 wins. He's just 6-8 over his last 19 starts, with Chicago going 7-12. That said, he's posted a 1.10 ERA over his last five starts, lasting at least eight innings in each of them. He has 48 strikeouts in 41 innings during that stretch but the White Sox are just 1-4 in those games. Kennedy will reach the 30-start mark for the seventh straight season in tonight's game and has won five consecutive decisions (over a six-start stretch), including his victory opposite Sale last time out. The 31-year-old worked six scoreless innings in that one and tied his season best by allowing one hit as he lowered his ERA to 3.14 since the All-Star break.

The pick: Kansas City's swoon has put it in seventh place in the wild-card standings with 16 games to play and the White Sox have won six of their last nine. However, Sale just can't seem to get a win these days while as noted, Kennedy comes in on a roll. Kansas City (plus 1 1/2 runs) is an 8* play.